Imran Khan, others to face indictment in GHQ attack case this month

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and several other leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are set to be formally indicted on 19 October in the case related to the attack on Pakistan's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi during the unrest on May 9, reported by Express News.

The decision was made by the special anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, presided over by Judge Amjad Ali Shah, who decided to prioritise the GHQ attack trial.

Copies of the case file were distributed to the accused, including Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, through their lawyers.

During the hearing, the court also issued arrest warrants for 31 accused who were absent from the proceedings. Other key PTI figures, including Shireen Mazari, Sadaqat Abbasi, Amjad Niazi, and Usman Dar, were present in court.

Some PTI members facing charges for protests on September 28 and October 4 submitted medical absence requests.

Strict security measures were enforced during the proceedings, and the next hearing will take place on October 19 at the Adiala Jail court.

Earlier this year, Imran Khan was arrested in the GHQ attack case, soon after his release warrant was issued in the cypher case.

The GHQ attack case involving Imran Khan is linked to his arrest on May 9, 2023, at the Islamabad High Court, where he was attending a hearing related to allegations of corruption.

Following Imrqn's arrest, widespread protests erupted across Pakistan, with his supporters and party members demanding his release. The protests escalated into riots, during which PTI supporters targeted and vandalised numerous civil and military installations.

Key sites of unrest included General Headquarters (GHQ) of the army in Rawalpindi, Jinnah House in Lahore, Mianwali airbase and Corps Commander House in Lahore.

Protesters set vehicles on fire, blocked roads, and clashed with police and security forces, leading to significant violence and property damage. In response to the unrest, the government arrested over 5,000 individuals, charging them under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other laws.

The government has accused Imran Khan of being the "mastermind" behind these attacks, claiming to possess evidence linking him to the riots.

However, PTI had firmly rejected media claims suggesting that Imran Khan neither urged nor admitted to urging a protest outside the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi prior to his arrest on May 9.

Asad Qaiser, a senior PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker, stated during a talk show on a private news channel, “[Imran] did not say what is being reported in the media […] we categorically deny this.”